Despite their bad reputation, pesticides are an essential part of agriculture given our current state. It would be impossible to grow as much food as we do without a method to deter pests, as pesticides protect “up to 70-80% of fruits, 40-50% of vegetables, and 20-30% of cereals” that would otherwise be lost. However, health and environmental concerns have prompted research in ways to uphold safety without compromising crop yields, such as modifying organic pesticides or replacing them altogether.

One way researchers aim to diminish the environmental and health risks of pesticides is by making them more effective, therefore requiring lower doses. Over 80-90% of sprayed pesticides are lost to the environment, so modifying the surface chemistry of pesticide carriers for enhanced sticking properties allows them to reach their target with much less waste. At Texas A&M University, nanopesticides are being studied to help send active ingredients straight to their target instead of drifting off into the air and soil, which is both environmentally and economically beneficial. 

This new technology can also address concerns about the impact of pesticides on health. Nanopesticides encapsulate the active pesticidal ingredient, which can be an organic pesticide such as neem seed extract, a compound naturally toxic to pests. Replacing typical industrial pesticides with nanopesticides can minimize waste and health effects while still protecting crop yields, which is crucial for Earth’s growing population.

However, nanopesticides are not the only method being studied to increase pesticide effectiveness. At MIT, researchers chose to address pesticide application by adding specific polymers to create charged particles within the pesticide. This makes the pesticide attracted to itself, causing a layer to form on the surface, instead of bouncing off. This led to the foundation of AgZen, a company aiming to create a product called EnhanceCoverage to maximize pesticide stickiness. For this, they developed RealCoverage, which tells users how much pesticide is actually clinging to leaves. RealCoverage alone has reduced pesticide use by “30 to 50 percent” in farmers who used it, which will be further improved when used in tandem with EnhanceCoverage.

I originally wrote this at the end of 2024, and articles mentioning EnhanceCoverage said it was slated to be released this year, but I didn’t see anything about it on AgZen’s website, so I’m not sure if that forecast is up to date. Writing this, I was surprised to see that the article I referenced about nanopesticides was published less than two weeks prior, which made me both optimistic and disappointed. Optimistic because so much fascinating research is being done right now and in every moment, and disappointed because I couldn’t read more about the developments Dr. Mustafa Akbulut’s team have made since the article was posted. 

I had no idea that pesticides were so inefficient, and it’s exciting to see how issues like these are being addressed in different ways. Nanopesticides would be a great solution to pesticide concerns and reactions; a friend of mine is allergic to almonds grown in California because of the pesticides they’re treated with, but not the actual almonds. The implementation of nanopesticides would eliminate this problem for her, though I suppose she could be allergic to neem seeds as well (though the internet considers this uncommon).

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned to learn with me!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241206162002.htm

https://scitechdaily.com/glowing-plants-and-silk-coated-seeds-how-mit-is-developing-the-future-of-farming/